RWBY - Temper the Flame
by MattHunX
Summary: Cinder is recuperating after her brightly burning candle was temporarily blown out by Ruby's new power. One-sided Emerald x Cinder.
**Author's note** : Cinder is recuperating after her brightly burning candle was temporarily blown out by Ruby's new power. One-sided Emerald x Cinder.

Apart from the brief intro, which is a direct mirroring of the blank-screened scene with Taiyang and Qrow speaking, the narrative is told from Emerald's perspective, but will deviate from the normal train-of-thought and story-telling some, condensing my usual description of facial expressions, movement, scenery, emotions…etc. into a more minimalistic format. A sort of experiment.

 **RWBY – Passionless Flame**

Everything was dark. The ringing finally stopped. Drowned voices became clear enough to understand.

One's anger, resentment, disgust and worry.

"You don't even care about her! She's just an _employer_ to you."

"Hey, that creepy lady said she'll be back on her feet and giving orders, in no time. Until then...I'm gonna get myself some new boots. And some magazines." Answered another voice. One of detachment. Even nonchalance. And to the other, one of infuriating lack of worry.

"So, that's it!? You're just having one on the town, while she's like this!?"

"Whaddayou want me to do? Sit at her bed and stare at her, until she wakes up? Be my guest! You both got my number." The voice was receding. He was leaving.

"I never wanted it." The other's venom quietly left her lips.

" _We don't need him! Everything was going fine! Agh!"_ A palm strikes a face.

 _He thinks it's just those stupid kids. But, I hate_ _ **him**_ _just as much. I can't stand his stupid lines. How he talks to her. So laid-back. How_ _ **she**_ _said his name, when we met him. How she always says it. She never says_ _ **my**_ _name like that. She even called him brave, for that last job, when_ _ **I**_ _did the hard part. All_ _ **he**_ _had to do was throw a fight and screw some bolts._ _ **I**_ _was the one whose head was splitting apart the whole day. He doesn't deserve her praise. He doesn't deserve_ _ **her**_ _! He…he didn't deserve to hold her like that and dance with her. I'm so pathetic. He's out there, having fun, not giving a damn and I'm here, worrying about her, when she won't even know about any of it. She'll just wake up and be-..._

"Emerald." _Huh? Did someone...? That voice...came from her bed. Cinder!_ "You're awake!" _Her eyes. They look so tired. And angry. Whatever that brat did to her took a lot out of her. What is she looking at? Huh? My hand. On hers. When did I even move? Wait...!_ "You shouldn't be getting up, yet. Just..." _That glow in her eyes, just now. She's going to get up no matter what I say. I shouldn't even try to tell her what she should do. Better not make her angrier. She looks like she could burn the blanket off of herself, then the bed and the whole room just by looking at it all. I can tell she hates it. She's cursing every second of it. Being here, like this._

"I asked what happened." _What? That burning gaze. Not as strong as it was, but still…so..._ "Emerald!"

"Y-yes." _Get it together._ "I-I'm sorry! I...we...found you unconscious on top of the tower. You weren't injured. At least, you didn't look like you were, but you weren't...moving. We brought you here. It's one of the White Fang's safehouses. It's a manor in the western part of Mistral." _No smile. Why was I hoping that she'd at least be happy about that last part. If anything she looks...even angrier._

"What happened to the girl?" _I almost missed her question, again. What girl? Wait. Ruby-..._ "Rose."

"Yes! She...was passed out. We could've finished her off, if that guy hadn't shown up, again, but we had to get you out of there." _Damn him._

"She made it to the top of the tower just as I put an arrow into her friend's chest. She watched as I turned her into dust." _She's not even smiling. She would have. Before._ "Then, she lashed out. Attacked me. Somehow. The last thing I remember was her screaming. Kneeling in the rubble. A light came from her...like a wave. I felt a power. It pushed me out. And now...here I am." _Her eyes._ "Lying in bed like a wounded soldier! How could she to this me!?" _I never saw her so angry. I'm afraid to say anything. Smoke! She's going to burn the blanket on herself if she-...Good. It's...still smoking on the floor. We can get her another one, but I doubt she'll stay in bed. And she won't. She shouldn't try to-...Her legs! They're shaking. She can barely stand. I have to..._

"Agh...!" _I knew I shouldn't have tried to help her. She'll burn my hand next, if I think she's weak. I should keep my distance, but I want to be by her side. Even if she doesn't need me. Her eyes are normal, again, at least. She's looking around like she knows the place._

"I didn't think I'd see these walls, again." _Huh?_

"You've been here before?" _Stupid question. She's not even going to answer._

"It's mine." _What? I just asked that out loud, too. Damn it!_

"It used to belong to a family who thought I cared about them. Just because we shared the same blood." _Her family? She never even-..._ "They were the last who thought they could control my life." _She's leaving, already. She can't stand being in here._ "We had...a _disagreement_. And after a _tragic_ accident I was alone." _I can't even see her face. But, her voice..._ _ **Now**_ _, she's smiling?_ "I thought about burning it to the ground." _And it's gone._ "I kept it, to be used as a safehouse by the associates I already had. As for myself, I made sure I'd never have to fall back on it." _But, she did. Woah! She nearly tore the door off its hinges. She wants to go out, already? Wait!_

 _She's still wearing that dress. We should've given her clean clothes. But, I didn't dare take it off of her. Mercury would have. Pig! I could tell her. Maybe she'll burn his stupid face. Whatever. She can change out of it and into something different in literally a second, anyway. I still have no idea how she does it. It's got nothing to do with her semblance. It's gotta be the Maiden's power. But, why would they even have something like that? I mean, it's handy, but it's so ridiculous. And how did she learn to steal someone's power like that? Maybe someone gave her that power. That woman, from earlier. With the white hair and red eyes. Her skin was so pale. Like she was sick. Where'd she come from? I've never seen her, before. Maybe she was talking to_ _ **her**_ _, all those times I heard her. There's something about her. But, I'm not going to ask. Not from Cinder and definitely not from her. I can't. I'll know what I need, when I need to know. This place isn't that bad. It's big. Too many windows, though. Hmm. The sun's already going down. Wow. Her eyes would look the same even if she wasn't looking at it. Oh, no. There they go again._

"How long was I in that…pathetic state." _Brighter. Answer her!_

"We got here around noon. You were...like that, the whole way from the academy." _Burning. Doesn't matter how I say it, she'll be angry. I'll just stay behind her. Out of her way._

"Where's Mercury?" _She didn't say his name like before._

"He went into town, a few hours ago. After this woman told us you'd be fine. He's probably still loading up on dust and reading comic books. It's like he didn't even care." _Yes! She's angry at him._

"What woman?" _Or not._

"Uh...some woman. We thought she was a friend...of yours." _Does she even have any?_ "She looked at you and she just said you'll be fine and when I asked her how she knew she told me she's...familiar...with your power." _She's angry at_ _ **her**_ _? Wait. I'd better tell her that-..._ "She's still here. I think. She could've left, while I was...with you." _Where is she going? What's this way? A study? Huh? Guards. Those White Fang idiots better open that door and get out of the way or else…Good. Here we go...It's her!_ _ **Grimm**_ _!? What the...? They're just standing there, like...guards. How...?_

"And so the would-be black queen finally wakes from her untimely slumber." _Is she mocking her!? That smile. It's like hers, but...different._

"You lied to me!" _What...!? Lied to her about what?_ "Why wasn't I warned about the girl's power!?"

"Warning is a luxury only those who'd forego learning can afford. It was an omission meant to teach you." _Huh? What…?_

"Teach me what!? Aah-...!" _Cinder! What is she doing to her!? Her hand? She's in pain. What's happening!? She can't even stand! That witch! What is she...? Her eyes! They're glowing red!_

"A lesson about power. And how quickly humanity forgets that power doesn't make them invincible." _Humanity? Them? What...? Isn't_ _ **she**_ _human?_ "They also forget from whence it came." _Her eyes. So red. Like_ _ **Grimm**_ _._

"AAAHhhhgh! Ugh..." _No! Stop! Cinder! Her face. Why is she looking at me like that? Does she want me to do something? Wait. No. She's angry. Even now she's angry that I'm seeing her like this. Humiliated. Helpless. But, why can't I move? I want her to stop. I want to_ _ **make her**_ _stop. Just pull the guns on her! Move, damn it!_

"Hmm?" _She's not even worried about me. Her eyes. Her smile. Is she trying to gaud me into attacking her? Why wouldn't she? If she's even stronger than a maiden, my bullets won't even do a thing. Damn it! Cinder…_

"Ugh..." _She stopped. Cinder! I should help her up. I want to help her up. And_ _ **she**_ _can tell. She's still smiling. She's daring me to try and help Cinder. She knows she has too much pride to let me. There. She's back on her feet. Good._

"I hope you can take what you have learned here, today, with you." _She talks like some teacher._ "Arrogance is best tempered with raw, even unrefined, power." _She's talking about the kid._ "The child has yet to learn to control even a fraction of her heritage. And _when_ she does, another lesson will be in order." _Not one like this, I hope. For Cinder's sake. She's leaving without a word? I can barely keep up. Whoever this...woman...was, I hate her. Cinder. What happened back there? I don't dare to ask her out loud or if she's okay. She's definitely_ _ **not**_ _okay._ _Her hands. They're shaking. Her knuckles are white. She's gonna dig into her own flesh if she doesn't stop! I'm_ _ **stopping**_ _her! She can burn my damn hand off, but I'm stopping her. Her hands are so warm. Her breath just hitched. I can her hear slowly inhaling. Seething. She doesn't want comforting. She won't look at me. But, I don't care. I won't let go. Now, my knuckles are white. I can feel her resisting. Trying to pull free. She can glare at me all she wants, I'm not letting her go, even if she literally burns a whole right through me with her eyes._

 _I can see myself in them._

 _I'm tearing up. I don't care._

 _She'll call me pathetic._

 _She'll hit me._

 _I'll let her._

THE END

 **Author's note:** I just assumed Salem could easily take on a more human appearance, without the sclerae, black-veins and more natural looking, but still pale, skin-color.


End file.
